We are Travelers

In my last post I made fun of being a tourist. In this post I give you an alternative to being a tourist: be a traveller. But before I get to the meat of this post: I MADE IT TO EDINBURGH! Woohoo! More to come on that in my next post.

To round out my time in Iceland, I spent my last full day on a tour of Iceland's Southern Coast. It was definitely my favourite thing from the trip. The tour guide was phenomenal, I saw three magnificent waterfalls, got drenched by the North Atlantic, and saw a glacier that may not exist in a few years.

The tour was run by Iceland Guided Tours with a minibus -- a (nice!) change from the large bus tours run by Reykjavik Excursions and Iceland Excursions. What really made it fantastic was the tour guide. He was very knowledgable, not just on the main sights, but little tidbits about Iceland, its history and natural landscape, wildlife, and people. He was also funny and incredibly passionate about his country and nature, which I appreciated. My hope is to convey that passion and enthusiasm to you.

Skógarfoss

Seljalandsfoss

Urriðafoss

Though the beauty and power of the first two falls above is certainly something to behold, the third waterfall, Urriðafoss, trumps them. Seeing the Urriðafoss was an unscheduled stop on our tour. It is the most voluminous waterfall in Iceland, and because of that, several people and organizations want to harvest its power for electricity. Doing so would redirect the river and make the falls run dry. Not that the proposed power plant couldn't be decommissioned and the falls restored, but it would undoubtedly be many years before anyone gets to enjoy the falls, as I have. For that reason, I urge anyone reading this to consider the value of natural beauty over a desire for profit, not just in Iceland but wherever you live. Don't just consider. Talk about it. Vote for public officials who will support the preservation and protection of our natural resources and planet.

Just 10 years ago, where I stood
when I took this was covered in ice.

On a similar note, another stop on our tour was the Sólheimajökull glacier. This was perhaps one of the most disappointing legs of the tour. Not just because it was raining--I was prepared to march the kilometer, through the pouring rain, to get right up next to the glacier. The most disappointing thing is that the other members of my party were not as willing to get a little wet to see up-close a natural beauty that is quickly disappearing. And it seems there is nothing we can do to stop it. The glacier retreats, on average, about 50 meters a year and is not being replenished. It could be gone entirely within 20 years. It might be too late to save Sólheimajökull, but it is not too late to save other natural landmarks. The U.S. and China ratifying the Paris climate deal is a good step towards doing that on the national scale. But most of the work will have to be done by people like you--talking about it, voting, donating, anything you can do to preserve this planet so that the next generation has a chance to enjoy it as we have.

Enough of my harping. It's time you know how to be a traveler. Part of it is not just seeing the sights, but truly appreciating them. The other part can be summarized by something our guide said as he passed a car on the highway.

"We are not tourists; tourists drive too slow. We are travelers. Tourists are always on their way home. But travelers are always on their way to the next destination."

-- Howser, travelers' guide

And with that, I'll let you ponder your next destination until my next post on my arrival in Edinburgh. Until then...

Stay informed. -NLD

Being a Better Tourist

To start things off here's an Icelandic joke our tour guide told us today:

What do you do if you get lost in an Icelandic forest?

Stand up.

Apart from Icelandic humor, I am getting very good at being very bad at being a tourist. So here are some quick and dirty tips on how to be a better Iceland tourist than me:

1. Purchase lots of souvenirs! Because you left plenty of space in your bags, right? And when you do buy souvenirs, make sure it's not something practical like a waterproof phone case. Because, you know, it rains quite a lot in Iceland and you like living life on the edge. And you wouldn't want to be able to take selfies in the hot springs, now, would you? 


2. If you go to a museum, don't waste two hours learning really interesting things about the country you're visiting; just purchase your ticket and pick up a brochure so you can say you've been there. Nobody will be any the wiser.


3. Eat at ALL the most touristy, expensive restaurants and cafes. Don't bother with the cozy bakeries or hole-in-the-wall six-seat ramen bars or take-out Indian places that give you enough delicious food for three meals.


1. There are several different companies in Reykjavik that give tours. A couple of the major ones are Reykjavik Excursions and Iceland Excursions. They are not the same! Know which one you've signed up to tour with.


2. Check to see if your company of choice has a pick-up service from your hotel or hostel. You can usually set that up when you purchase your tour ticket but it doesn't hurt to check with them. Also, double check what time they say they'll be there to pick you up. They're usually VERY punctual.


3. If your ticket says Iceland Excursions - Gray Line Iceland, do NOT get on a Reykjavik Excursions shuttle (See tip 4a above).


4. Should you somehow find yourself on a Reykjavik Excursions shuttle, told by the driver to take a seat, and knowing the moment you sat that this is the wrong bus, it might not hurt to stop the bus driver and calmly (or not so calmly) exclaim that you believe you're on the wrong bus. I promise, your pride will recover.


5. If you've decided to just go with the flow and stay on the Reykjavik Excursions bus, don't panic. All the tour buses depart from the same bus terminal, right?


6. Wrong! Reykjavik Excursions and Iceland Excursions - Gray Line operate out of two different terminals, 7km apart. So is all hope lost?


7. Nope! When the shuttle drops you off at the Reykjavik Excursions terminal, just keep your cool and go speak with one of the nice people at the service desk. They can help arrange a way for you to get to the correct bus.


8. You made it to the right tour bus! Phew! Now just sit back, relax, enjoy the scenery, and constantly take pictures so the only way you experience Iceland's beautiful landscape is through your phone or camera lens.


5. At the Gullfoss Cantina, I only had two bowls of Kjötsúpa (Icelandic Meat Soup). But to be a good tourist you should really have about four (free refills)! Seriously, it's that good. Like, if I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would probably be Kjötsúpa.


6. After a long couple days of touring, you'd really like to go up to bed or, if it's still pretty early, take a three hour nap. But if you want to be a good tourist, try going down to the hotel/hostel lobby/bar. Socialize! Meet interesting people from around the world! Don't be a wimp! Expand your horizons!


7. Stay up late, drinking at the hotel or hostel bar with you new buddies. But remember that you have another tour to go on tomorrow morning at 08:30. Yay! Being a tourist!

Gullfoss. It was raining, and windy, and I was freezing.
But, wow, did that meat soup taste good after this.

All of the tips above are based on a true story. Though some have had some satire thrown in. I won't tell you which is which. But I will say this: as you may be able to tell from Tip #4 above, I once again (hypothetically) experienced a few travel hiccups. But (had it actually happened) it is much better that it happened today than, say, when I need to catch a bus to the airport. So with today's (mis)adventures, I really am starting to believe in that wonderful Icelandic phrase I mentioned in my last post: Það reddast.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to squeeze in another blog post before I get to the UK, so until next time...

Stay informed. -NLD

Living in a Fantasy World

I made it to Iceland, land of Walter Mitty and Sense8 Season 1 finale! But before I get too far into that, I'd like to outline in more detail what you can expect from these blog posts: First and foremost, they are a record of my adventures so I can reminisce years from now and smile, laugh, or cringe at memories of my travels. Secondly, they are a semi-stream-of-consciousness journal of my experiences so that I may learn from them and grow as a person and world citizen. Lastly (but certainly not least), whether you are interested in my physical and mental well-being or my online presence as a travel blogger, these posts are meant to be a (entertaining) snapshot of my life and travels abroad, thus providing a glimpse of this magnificent world we live in. My hope is that it will encourage you to explore the world for yourself, get outside your comfort zone, and take part in creating a more understanding, accepting, and peaceful planet.

That being said, I'm not going to post nothing but the wonderful experiences and alluring pictures you might see in an Instagram feed. A very large part of traveling (and life!) is making mistakes, finding yourself in uncomfortable situations, and having your world-view challenged. (But if you would rather look at the picturesque fantasy-world where nothing goes wrong and everything is beautiful, you can ignore these posts and follow me and my online character/persona, Kåri the Koala, on Instagram @circasolis and @karikoalatravels.) In reality, the world isn't all shimmering, smiling, selfies and sunsets, or perfectly positioned platters of food. There's a lot of ugly stuff, too. And it's the ugly stuff that helps us learn and grow.

So here it is: my first blog post of this trip abroad.

I started writing this post in the lobby of the hostel I'm staying at (Kex), overlooking Faxaflói (Faxa Bay), across from some of the most stunning mountains I've seen (pictured left). Now I'm finishing it in an Icelandic café, sipping a mug of Earl Grey tea. As nice as that sounds, the tea is the only thing keeping me awake after getting only 0.0 hours of sleep on the 7-hour overnight flight from Seattle to Keflavik (by no fault of the airline or passengers; I just can't sleep on planes). Though extremely tired, I left the plane excited for the day ahead: a relaxing morning at the Blue Lagoon and an afternoon of exploring Reykjavik.

My excitement hit a roadblock when I lost my ticket for the shuttle bus to the Blue Lagoon. There I was, standing on the bus, holding up its departure, frantically searching my pockets and bags while the ticket-taker stared at me. Right when I said I must have dropped it on the way to the bus, I found it stuck in the crack between my seat and the wall. Embarrassed, relieved, and sweating profusely, I handed over my crumpled ticket. Instead of letting this ordeal bother me all day (as it once would have), I let the geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoon melt away my anxiety.

I was lucky that things worked out. I'm not sure what would have happened had I not found my ticket. So, for now, I'll keep clinging to the fantasy world that is Iceland--the friendly people, stunning vistas, and setting of a major motion picture and Netflix Original Series. But I will go forward with the near-miss fresh in my mind, not letting it bother me, but letting it serve as a reminder to be careful and observant, to prepare for any possible scenario and--upon realizing that such a feat is impossible and something will inevitably go not according to plan--to say as the Icelanders say: "Það reddast," (trans. "It'll all work out in the end." or "It'll fix itself." or "You'll be saved before it's too late.")

Apart from the brief moment of panic, there have been very "ugly" bits to my time in Iceland so far. I hope it stays that way, but, eventually, the realities of traveling and life will reveal themselves. And when they do, I'll relay them as I see them; not to paint a depressing picture, but to paint a picture in contrast to the "ideal" image we'd like to see, so that a true "ideal" image may one day be reached.>

Stay informed. -NLD